To Boldly Go
by Scarlet Secret
Summary: Whilst out walking in her grounds one day Cora Crawley comes across a rather unexpected stranger that shows her a whole new world.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Okay, this is insanity time I suppose but I wrote this ages ago and love it lots and want to share it and any sequel that might come into my head.

* * *

><p><em><strong>To Boldly Go<strong>_

Mrs Wormwood sighed deeply and kicked the side of her ship in annoyance. She hadn't meant to break the time barrier and travel backwards, but that meddling Doctor-man had not looked like someone to trifle with. Damn Sarah Jane Smith for having so many bloody friends in high places, it did ruin her brilliant plans so much!

She looked around the landscape, having little idea either where, or _when,_ she had landed. She sent a silent prayer to her mother that she hadn't ended up during one of the times when humans were at their most ridiculous and might burn her. The thought of trying to run away from a hoard of fools, wielding pitchforks or the like was enough to make her consider heading back to Sarah Jane's smirking face.

It didn't _look_ dangerous. But then, she thought with a pronounced smirk, neither did she. There was a great deal of pretty English scenery – she felt better, the products of the earth were rather pleasant and she much preferred trees to most humans – and a rather large house. She debated the merits of appealing to them for assistance. She scoffed and mentally chastised herself for such stupidity. On the off chance that they didn't have her sent to an asylum immediately the likelihood of them possessing any information about how to travel forward again without landing slap bang in front of the meddling man with the blue box and Sarah Jane Smith was quite low.

She fiddled with her ring until the ship vanished from sight, there was no point announcing her presence after all, and began to walk towards the house, reasoning that they would at least have food and water.

On the path she came across her first human in the strange time and the first indicator of what year it was. Victorian maybe? Edwardian perhaps? She didn't consider herself a great scholar of human history but she was rather fond of clothes and these clothes looked very much like the ones she had seen on display in museums. The woman in them was taller than her, less so than she should have been as Mrs Wormwood was in heels, and was looking at her as though she wasn't sure she was seeing her.

Mrs Wormwood smiled at her, slow and, hopefully, friendly. She tried her best not to pepper it with a distinct edge, as she had for Sarah Jane Smith, this woman was not under suspicion after all.

"Hello, I'm terribly sorry, I seem to have interrupted your walk."

Cora boggled at her. Who on earth was this woman? She was pretty, very pretty in fact, and dressed in the most bizarre clothes Cora had ever seen, including Sybil's odd pantaloons. Her skirt barely reached her knees and was tighter than anything she'd permit her daughters to wear; the blouse seemed to be missing buttons too, displaying an ample amount of cleavage, and the sleeves were pushed up to her elbows. Altogether there was more skin on display than Cora though she had ever seen of another woman. Except perhaps Rosamund but she rarely counted Rosamund these days, it simply wasn't worth the effort to try to catalogue all her sister's antics.

She smiled at the redhead's words, suddenly charming and the perfect hostess. It would be nice to speak to a woman her own age for once after all. And those shoes looked as though they could _hurt_ someone so Cora was keen to make friends.

"Not at all, I was just getting bored actually." She gestured for the woman to walk besides her and they started to walk in what appeared to be the direction her strangely attired new acquaintance had been coming. "I don't _think_ we've met before, but I do meet so many people so I am terribly sorry if I've forgotten you."

Cora knew her own words were nonsense. She hadn't forgotten a name or a face in all her life.

"My name's Mrs Wormwood. And no, we haven't met before. I'm…not from here."

"So you don't know who I am?"

It was said with some indignation. Cora had not been obliged to introduce herself for a very long time.

"Should I?" She replied, not without a trace of amusement at this human woman.

"I'm the Countess of Grantham."

Mrs Wormwood smiled at her baffled. She assumed the name was supposed to mean something to her, but she couldn't fathom what it was and didn't really care to. She tried not to cause offence though, she liked this human.

"Very well…what do I call you?"

"Well it should be Lady Grantham, but as my mother-in-law isn't here to disapprove you can call me Cora."

Mrs Wormwood nodded, pleased that she had managed to make a friend. And a human at that!

"There's a small moon off Endymion called Cora."

Cora frowned but smiled, utterly bemused.

"I think I was named for an Aunt."

"I would very much like to take you there."

"To a small moon!"

She laughed, sure the woman had a very strange sense of humour. Cora hoped she stayed.

Mrs Wormwood smiled, positive that Cora's reaction meant she might be amenable to the idea of there being more to the universe.

"I travel a great deal."

"If you're such a weary traveller, what are you doing at Downton?"

She couldn't help herself and, despite her prior cautiousness, laughed.

"My spaceship's stuck here until it has enough energy to jump forward in time again."

Cora blinked at her slowly and wondered how quickly she could run away if the occasion called for it. Was there no one _normal_ in Yorkshire? Must they all have stupid stories to try and fool the local American with?

"Your spaceship? I honestly have no idea what you're referring to," she waved her hand across the scenery. "And whatever it is, presumably it's been stolen Mrs Wormwood, shall I send for Scotland Yard?"

Mrs Wormwood bristled. Laughing was one thing, but she didn't like being mocked at all. She calmed herself quickly, Cora was too charming for her to remain angry.

"You don't believe me."

Cora raised an impeccably groomed eyebrow and quirked her lips.

"I think you probably tell a very good story Mrs Wormwood."

Mrs Wormwood liked her more and more. Finally, a human who was amusing, she had nearly given up hope. Without breaking her eye-contact with this lovely creature she reached for her ring and, pointing in the direction of her invisible ship, twisted it until the process was reversed.

She had expected the Countess to faint, at the very least she might scream, but instead she was silent as she took in the sight of a rather large, black and grey, humming with power, ship. Mrs Wormwood smirked at her, oddly pleased that she had impressed her.

"I'm afraid it's not a story Cora."

She took the woman's hand to regain her attention and smiled kindly.

"Would you like to see inside? I promise I won't abduct you."

Cora looked wary, understandably so Mrs Wormwood supposed. Humans in her time were ignorant enough about the universe but this woman looked like an antique doll and Mrs Wormwood doubted very much whether she even knew of the existence of other races!

"Come on."

Slowly she pulled on Cora's hand, tugging her inside and feeling her tremble.

"Shhh, it's alright. I promise," Mrs Wormwood stopped and tried to be reassuring. "Would you prefer not to see?"

Cora finally seemed able to speak.

"No! I want to see. I'm not scared, you understand, just…overwhelmed."

Mrs Wormwood smiled at her again and squeezed her hand. Had she ever been this kind before?

"Understandable."

She pulled Cora through the shiny doors, finding the contrast between the surroundings and this woman utterly beguiling. They reached the control room and Cora froze, taking in everything before her. Suddenly something occurred to her.

"Where do you sleep? Or do you sleep at the helm?"

She gestured towards a leather chair, in front of which were a number of switches and levers and buttons that Cora didn't imagine she could ever decipher.

Mrs Wormwood smirked and took her hand again, pushing a button on the wall to open the door to her bedroom.

"In here."

Cora was drawn to the room. It possessed less of these strange beeping implements and she felt safer in here, next to a luxurious looking bed and surrounded by more strange clothes and shoes. She couldn't keep the wonder out of her voice.

"You travel across the world in this?"

"The universe. Up there," she gestured to the roof of the ship and hoped Cora was intelligent enough to know she wasn't referring to the roof. "There's so much to see. Humankind has no idea of course, but there are millions of planets and stars and races."

"I suppose Downton and me are a little bit insignificant then?"

Cora had a sudden yearning to fiddle with the buttons around her, to make them move and feel powerful doing it, and this woman's words were making her heart race. Or perhaps it was just her voice, Cora had never heard a voice drip with such honey and possibilities.

"Nonsense," Mrs Wormwood moved closer. "I have seen a great variety of people in my life, from all across the universe, but I always return to earth for the beautiful women…" She brought a hand up to rest on Cora's cheek and she smiled at her.

"And I have not seen beauty like yours for a long time."

An image of Sarah Jane Smith pushed its way into her head and aghast Mrs Wormwood pushed it away and, in a moment of desperation over her own mind, leaned in to kiss Cora.

Cora moaned lightly at the all too brief kiss. Oh god, this was wrong. Then again there was nothing about this situation that was not abnormal and Cora considered the possibility that this was all a dream and any moment she would awake in her bed, safe and without all these overwhelming emotions.

She let Mrs Wormwood cup her cheek and deepen the kiss, sliding her other hand over her hip and pulling her close. Cora moaned into her mouth and couldn't resist reciprocating, wrapping her arms around Mrs Wormwood's slim form and roaming her hands across the strange attire. She tugged the crisp white blouse out of the skirt and felt the gloriously warm skin underneath.

She wasn't wearing a chemise! Or a corset! Although Cora had been slowly weaning the horrible things out of her day to day wear, it was still strange to find a woman who wore neither. But then, this woman was very strange! She tugged at the blouse.

"Off. Now."

Mrs Wormwood laughed, high enough to send chills down Cora's spine, and complied immediately, her fingers flying over buttons with a speed O'Brien would have been proud of until Cora could peel the fabric off her torso and lick her lips. The redhead was utterly beautiful, soft and creamy and she smelt of an intoxicating perfume.

"Everything."

Cora pulled at the back of Mrs Wormwood's skirt, what on earth was this? Metal and long and…Cora tugged at what she found and was pleased when the redheads skirt began to slide down long legs. Oh Christ, those stockings were considerably more appealing that her own and Cora suddenly felt rather drab next to this unusual and fascinating woman.

Cora kissed her deeply, running her hands to pull off the brassiere-like article she was wearing and view the other woman's breasts for the first time. They were utterly exquisite – Cora had not spent a great deal of time considering other women's breasts but now…oh she could spend all day just staring at them.

"You're very beautiful," she reached a tentative hand up to cup the warm mound and groaned at the soft weight against her palm. She gently ran a thumb over a deliciously pink nipple and leaned back to kiss Mrs Wormwood again. She had every intention of leaving the stockings on!

Mrs Wormwood, for her part, was thoroughly intoxicated by this little beauty. She certainly had a wonderful tongue and she was promisingly aggressive enough to strip her bare whilst looking only slightly ruffled herself.

Mrs Wormwood ceased her kissing momentarily to fiddle with Cora's gown.

"How on earth does this thing come off? Do I need to cut it off?"

Cora felt her mouth run dry. It wasn't exactly a great favourite of her gowns…she wouldn't miss it…but no! That was madness; she'd just take it off, like a civilised person. A civilised woman about to be fucked by another woman in a spaceship.

"Or shall I tear it from your body like a predator?"

Oh god, she was helpless to the woman's voice!

"God yes! Get it off as quickly as possible!"

Mrs Wormwood did. She pushed Cora onto the bed and, reaching for a nearby penknife, straddled Cora's legs and ran a hand over the breast still concealed by material.

"It's such a lovely dress."

"Cut it off!"

Mrs Wormwood licked her lips and carefully placed the knife under Cora's collar.

"Keep still darling, I wouldn't want to hurt you."

Eyes gleaming with lust Mrs Wormwood sliced through the thin dress, cutting a fine line between the other woman's breasts until she reached her waist. Smiling gleefully Mrs Wormwood peeled away the material to reveal the straining breasts beneath.

"Hmmm, how beautiful you are…"

She bent down to capture one of the hard peaks between her lips and swirled her tongue over it gently. Cora writhed underneath her and Mrs Wormwood rubbed herself down onto Cora's hard thigh.

"Oh you are utterly exquisite…like a," she pulled the material clean off Cora, leaving her upper body completely exposed. "Renaissance painting."

Mrs Wormwood shuffled slightly further down the bed and lengthened the tear until she could pull the dress out from underneath Cora. Only her silken underwear left Mrs Wormwood ran two fingers over the soft wetness – this was certainly enticing.

Cora groaned helplessly at the other woman's touch and, reaching up, pulled her down for a long lingering kiss.

"Please, I want you to touch me…"

Cora felt concern well up in her when Mrs Wormwood shot to her feet, a fear that was soon allayed when the woman wrapped her fingers round the tops of her panties and pulled them clean away. She didn't think she could have stood to have them cut away too, she might come there and then from the attention lavished on her.

Oh god! Was the woman kneeling down?

Cora groaned loudly – Rosamund had told her about this but Robert had never offered to do it for her and now this extraordinary woman was spreading her trembling thighs with a smile and looking at her with playful, smirking eyes.

"I am going to utterly _devour_ you."

Mrs Wormwood dragged her tongue slowly from top to bottom of Cora's sex, feeling her twitch but not relenting. She tasted sweet and unlike anything Mrs Wormwood had ever come across in all her travels. She delved further, opening the other woman's sex skilfully and rolling her tongue around her silken little nub.

Cora purred at the pleasure coursing through her. Goodness, this bizarre woman certainly knew what she was doing with her tongue! The fingers on her thigh were so soft and Cora felt helpless against the woman's mouth – her full lips teasing her apart and her tongue, that must have been other-worldly, darted quickly and determinately over her throbbing nub with excruciating precision.

Cora tangled her fingers through Mrs Wormwood's curls – _God_, she thought, _I don't even know her Christian name and I'm about to utterly fall apart for her!_ – and shamelessly pulled her closer, trying to rub herself harder against her lovely face to gain her desperately needed release. She was going to come ridiculously quickly but somehow she didn't mind. Time felt strange and surreal, not unlike this beautiful woman in fact.

Breathlessly Cora groaned in utmost pleasure, she could feel it building now, and smiled at the woman's beautiful head. Robert never lavished such attention on her and certainly never brought her to the brink quite so teasingly. She gripped the hair desperately and –

_What the hell was that!_

Cora's eyes widened at the sight and her potential orgasm vanished. Where there had been long, creamy legs that Cora had been very much looking forward to having wrapped around her there were now three…what Cora could only describe as _tentacles. _

She squealed and pulled away from Mrs Wormwood's lovely mouth, pointing wildly towards the slimy, green things.

"What are _those_?"

The redhead looked down curiously and rolled her eyes.

"Oh honestly!" Mrs Wormwood tapped the stone on her ring and her legs immediately reappeared. "This thing really is unreliable. Must be losing its charge."

Cora tried to shuffle away. What was this woman? And what on earth was a _charge_?

"You're not…not _human_ are you?"

"Of course not!"

She threw her head back and laughed coldly.

"Had you not guessed?"

Cora moved herself over the bed, closing her legs decidedly. There was still lust in her body and she could feel the uncomfortably slick heat between her own thighs but….those had been _tentacles_!

Mrs Wormwood felt saddened by the woman's actions. Why, this was entirely foolish! She had no intention to hurt her but she felt the urge to explain things to Cora, and so playfully took hold of her ankles and, using all her strength, pulled her back to the edge of the bed.

"No! Let go of me."

"And I thought we were getting along so well my dear!"

She climbed on top of Cora, between the woman's legs, feeling the telling wetness still present. Oh this woman was such a liar if she intended to claim she didn't want her anymore!

"Forget about what you saw," she leaned down, arms pinning Cora's down, and suckling a hard nipple, laughing at Cora's struggling form. The wriggling was causing their bodies to rub together deliciously and as far as Mrs Wormwood was concerned, it was doing very little to make her want this funny little human woman less.

Cora moaned despite herself. God this woman had _such_ a clever tongue! It was her undoing and she still wanted the touch.

"Stop…" It was feebler now, did she really mean it? This woman was from another planet! How could she let herself be touched so intimately but somebody who was not ever a human being? Somebody with a spaceship? Somebody with three god damn _tentacles_?

"Christ almighty! What the bleedin' 'ell's that…"

The familiar voice in the distance made Cora's heart soar and the fight returned to her. She struggled harder underneath the redhead.

"O'Brien! In here! Help me!"

Sarah O'Brien had never been more confused in her life. She had been expecting Lady Grantham back from her walk ages ago and so had gone to investigate, much to Thomas' amusement, and found something she had no words to describe in the grounds.

Feeling brave and concerned about what this meant for Cora's whereabouts she'd climbed inside and been unable to keep her exclamation to herself.

She ran towards the sound of Cora's voice and was greeted by another sight she knew she would not forget particularly soon.

Cora was naked but for her stockings and was wriggling quite violently underneath another similarly undressed woman, one that did not have a particularly encouraging look on her face. Acting entirely on instinct Sarah lurched forward and caught the stranger around the shoulders, pushing her aside with all her might until the redhead crunched into the wall.

Sarah stopped herself from raking her eyes over Cora's body – she had seen her naked before of course – but she had never seen her quite so flushed and breathless, lying on her back in a bed. She swiftly reached for Cora's hand and pulled the woman to her feet.

"'re you alright m'lady?"

Cora could have cried. Or kissed her. Even in this, the oddest of circumstances O'Brien was still so considerate. She really must give her a pay rise. At least reward her in some manner!

"Fine. We need to get out of this thing. Now."

She glanced at the prone form of Mrs Wormwood and felt a brief stab of pity. O'Brien had pushed her rather hard after all, would she be okay?

Sarah grabbed the nearest full item of clothing she could, a strange purple dress that she tugged over Cora's head. Shocking situation or not she doubted Cora would want to run across the grounds stark naked!

"Come on," she took Cora's hand and headed towards the door.

The two women left the ship as quickly as they could, Cora looking back only once as O'Brien all but dragged her towards the safety of the house. She knew she'd have to get this dress off Cora before anyone saw it, although it was rather becoming on her frame.

On the ship Mrs Wormwood hadn't moved from where she fell. She'd been too shocked to begin with but had found herself too sad to bother getting back up. She thought she'd made a friend and had tried to explain herself but there was no point. One look at her real form and the pretty little human woman had run a mile.

She sighed and waited till they were gone before pulling herself up, checking her naked form in a nearby mirror for any injuries. She admired this body, it seemed to have rather a good effect upon people, as far as human bodies went.

She reached for a dressing gown, unable to face the thought of getting dressed again, and started flicking the relevant switches to make the ship move. She hoped the rumble wasn't too distressing for Cora and immediately kicked herself. What did she care for ONE stupid little human, one she'd known for all of half an hour.

With resolve she pressed a button and felt the whole ship move.

She supposed heading straight back to Sarah Jane Smith wasn't too bad. At least _she_ wouldn't run away if her tentacles appeared!

End.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hehe, there was already a part two and I had to share it!

* * *

><p>Mrs Wormwood managed to hide behind a pillar in the lavish and ornate house moments before footsteps went past her hiding place. She risked a glance and recognised the hair and dress as belonging to the woman who had given her a formidable bump on the head the last time they had encountered each other. Were it not for the fact she had bigger fish to fry at the moment, she would have followed her and returned the favour but instead she sneered after the poorly clad woman and slipped silently towards the door she knew her little Countess was behind.<p>

She knocked lightly and heard a murmur of consent coming from inside. She went inside and her breath bated. Her little Countess was as beautiful as she remembered and looking more serene that Mrs Wormwood had left her last time – she had realised later that perhaps softy softly was the approach to take with Cora. She was sat at her dressing table, her hair loose around her shoulders and examining her face in the mirror – why on earth was she tugging at the skin around her pretty eyes? – and Mrs Wormwood could see the tantalising outline of her body underneath the thin summer nightgown. She licked her lips and pressed the door closed.

"O'Brien, I'm glad you're back. I don't think I'll be able to sleep to-"

The look on her face as she turned round to meet the eyes of her visitor was almost comical and Mrs Wormwood couldn't prevent a smug smirk gracing her features at her achievement. Cora was frozen to her seat and Wormwood wasn't sure if she was merely unable to move through shock of if she was planning her next move – she was certainly glad to see that Cora appeared to be blushing ever so slightly.

"Hello Countess. It has been some time."

She managed to take a few steps towards the other woman before Cora squeaked as she tried to back away, clearly forgetting she was sat down, and the dark haired woman slipped off her seat, slid to the floor, hitting her head off the side of the table and ceased to move. Mrs Wormwood was by her side in an instant and after making sure Cora was physical well – she was, although she might have a bump – she rolled her eyes.

She lifted the taller but ridiculously light woman into her arms and as she easily moved back through the house, outside to the ground and then to her spaceship, she wondered if all alien abductions were this easy.

_Two hours later…_

Cora opened her eyes groggily and almost fainted with fear once she realised where she was. She had been in this room only once before and had lost her clothes then – she tried not to think about how willingly she had done so – before being rescued by her lady's maid. She had a feeling, given the motion of the room, that they might be moving and she felt a stab of sorrow that O'Brien would not be able to help her this time.

Gently, her head still hurt after all, she climbed off the bed and felt a plush carpet under her toes as she padded slowly across the room, heading towards the door and the slither of light beyond it. She poked her head tentatively around the gap and gasped at what she saw.

Mrs Wormwood, possessing a name and face that Cora knew she would never forget as long as she lived, was sat in front of the console she remembered from her previous visit and appeared to be pressing buttons at random. The ship hummed at her touch and Cora wished there was some kind of window for her to see the stars. If she absolutely had to be _here_ again the very least Mrs Wormwood could do was show her something impressive and-NO! What on earth was she thinking?

"Take me home, right now!"

Wormwood spun around in her seat and crossed her legs and Cora swallowed at the sight. The last time she had seen Mrs Wormwood, apart from her embarrassing display in her own bedroom, she had been wearing next to nothing and those long pale legs had slipped back and forth between their current appealing state and being long and green and goddamn _tentacles_. Cora told herself that the shudder going through her was due to revulsion rather than the legs and the smirk of the woman they belonged to.

"Make me darling. We're," Wormwood glanced briefly at the console desk, "Five thousand, three hundred and two miles away from your planet. If you want to get back you'll have to be _very_ nice to me…besides which I'm not taking you back until you've seen what I have to offer you."

Cora felt the emotions that had been bubbling below the surface since she had last seen Mrs Wormwood come pushing through her controlled façade once more. She had wanted her so much, no matter how much she tried to deny it, and she had never received the gratification that Mrs Wormwood and her clever tongue had promised. She whimpered slightly and bit her lip, feeling as nervous as a schoolgirl with her first crush as she moved further into the appealingly hum that was the console room. Not trusting herself to sit too close to the redhead Cora settled herself awkwardly on a red sofa pushed against the wall. Precisely why Mrs Wormwood had a sofa here she didn't like to ask – her sense of décor was as odd and ostentatious as Rosamund's really! Perhaps Mrs Wormwood had nudes on the wall upstairs too?

"I think I already know what you're _offering_ Mrs Wormwood and I'm not at all sure I want it at all."

"You might if you're bodyguard doesn't interrupt us."

Wormwood's eyes slowly dragged over her body and Cora had the distinct feeling that she was doing it on purpose with the intention of making her abductee as uncomfortable as possible. For her part Wormwood was in fact entirely aware of her actions and whilst she was enjoying watching Cora squirm there was a considerable amount of appreciation in her gaze. Cora, despite her protestations, had either not noticed or was not concerned that the shoulder of her nightgown was slipping down and it was giving a rather spectacular hint of the tantalising skin beneath that Wormwood was rather determined to feel before the night was out. Cora was going to stay with her whether the Countess knew it or not – she didn't belong in that boring world and dressed in so many clothes. Mrs Wormwood intended to show her the stars.

"She was saving me from an _alien_, I don't think it's fair to make it sound like she was in the wrong."

Oh Lord, she wished O'Brien was here. Alien or not Cora was certain her maid would know precisely what to do for the best, she always seemed to. But her mind was becoming cloudy. The sense that O'Brien seemed to imbibe into her at times was leaving her and the fear she felt at being out of her maid's presence was fading. The intoxication she had felt the last time she'd been around Mrs Wormwood, a lust that had nearly driven her to allow the alien woman to make love to her despite her tentacles, was returning and she could feel her insides begin to squirm at the glint in the sharp blue eyes. This woman was so dangerous and Cora knew she was treading on thin ice. But what else could be do, so far away from home and trapped with Mrs Wormwood on her ship? She averted her eyes from the aliens and stared at her lap.

"Why are you so interested in _me_?"

It was something that still bothered her. Last time, and despite the outcome, she had felt oddly pleased that it was she Mrs Wormwood had chosen to pursue, however, doubt had been sown when she realised the alien had not actually _met_ anyone else. But she was here now! Of all the galaxies and worlds that were at her fingertips and all the people she might encounter, Mrs Wormwood had come back for _her. _She must like her.

Despite her reservations Cora allowed herself a small smile at the prospect of this strange and exotic woman sparing a though for her. She who was nothing more than a speck on the earth had managed to attract the attention of a woman's whose eyes could see across the stars. A Countess who would have been quite content to spend her days with her foolish husband and demanding children and beautiful house: happy to spend her life being looked after by Sarah O'Brien.

"I'm nothing special."

Mrs Wormwood scoffed and stared at the wall where the window should have been and Cora suddenly _needed_ to know what was behind it that the alien could still see in her mind but was hidden from her. Cora shuffled forward in her seat.

"Of course you are my dear. You know," Mrs Wormwood looked at her with fondness and eyes that spoke of years of loneliness and Cora couldn't help but feel another part of her soften towards the alien. "You're the first human being who has ever been kind to me."

Cora bit back the retort that she wasn't surprised if Mrs Wormwood's usual style of greeting people was to either kidnap them or to attempt to ravish them with her tentacles, but Cora found that she couldn't. The poor woman sounded so wistful and Cora remembered the patience Mrs Wormwood had shown on their first meeting, allowing her to become accustomed to all the strange new things around her and gently leading her inside her ship. Had she intended to abduct her _that _day? Cora wondered, not for the first time since the incident, whether she would have given in to the touches and gone with her had Sarah not intervened.

"Well…I don't know if that makes me special," she sighed and raised a hand to push her tumbling hair out of her eyes. "But as long as you promise to bring me home afterwards, I suppose one trip won't hurt."

Mrs Wormwood's smirk became an all-out grin and Cora couldn't help but grin back. This adventure suddenly made her insides squirm in a good way, alright her head still hurt a little bit but Cora was not above admitting that was probably her own fault, but the fear was evaporating every time Mrs Wormwood looked at her with the stars shining in her eyes.

"Excellent. That's all I ask Countess…but if you like it, then you are more than welcome to remain here. With me. I have so much I would wish to show you."

She seemed so sincere and Cora couldn't help but nod along as she slid out of her seat and walked over to Wormwood's. She settled herself on the arm and looked at the control panel, vehemently pretending that her desire for closer proximity to Wormwood was entirely benign and she merely wish to learn.

"What makes it go?"

"Darling, it's already going."

She had thought as much but to have it confirmed was heart-stopping.

"Can I…Can I see out the window please?"

It seemed this was the moment Mrs Wormwood had been waiting patiently for and with a flourish she snaked an arm around Cora's waist, pulling her into her lap with only a soft squeak of protest coming from the human woman.

"The best view is from here."

Cora gasped at the feel of the body pressed against her own and images of the last time they were this close came unbidden into her mind and she wanted nothing more than to touch her again. Throwing caution to the wind – surely such things were negligible if one was in _space_ – Cora slunk her arm around Wormwood's neck and smiled: she very much liked her newfound position.

"You could have just moved of course."

"Why on earth would I want to do that?"

As if it had been pre-destined to happen in that moment Cora brought her head down to decisively press her lips against Wormwood's, parting the soft mouth and feeling every surge of sensation that occurred when her tongue danced with the alien's nimbler one. She smiled afterwards, both at her own elation at being here, but also at the glee she saw in the alien's eyes – she had a feeling that she was going to get the pleasure she had been denied last time twice over later on. Blushing at the thought Cora turned her head to the now open window and gasped.

The stars were so many and their lights so bright that Cora thought she must have been dreaming. Either that or this was some elaborate hoax and those stars had been hand-made because each of them was so perfect, so brilliant that Cora, just for a second, thought they couldn't possibly be real. Where in all her life had she ever seen anything so beautiful and breath-taking and…she couldn't take her eyes away. She felt as though her gaze could be forever fixed to those sparkling diamonds in the night sky and she would never tire of looking.

Cora felt a brief pang in her hear that she was not sharing this with someone else for the first time. She could feel Wormwood's warm body underneath her own and she was grateful for a solid presence to keep her mind from flying out there into the shining jungle of stars, but somehow it felt like there was something missing. She wondered if she would feel it Robert was here, her devoted husband of twenty-five years. Or her daughters? Any of her darling daughters would look so devastatingly beautiful in the reflected light of the stars, glorious in their youth compared to the ancient rocks. Perhaps Rosamund? Rosamund would surely love the sparkle as much as she did and her sister was intelligent enough to simply _feel_ the magnitude of where they were and what they were looking at. But the squirming in her stomach was not abated until she thought of Sarah. She didn't know if Sarah would love this – not in the same way she knew Rosamund would – but she simply knew that of all the people in the universe, Sarah was the one she wished was here to share her own joy.

Cora sadly let the thought go. Sarah was thousands of miles away and she was here with a not altogether unattractive woman. Things could be considerably worse. She turned in her seat, her lust fuelled by her excitement and kissed Wormwood again, soft but forceful and with her hands roaming over any part of her body Cora could reach.

She broke away breathless.

"Take me to bed," she smirked enough to match Wormwood's and felt herself grow more aroused every shade darker the alien's eyes went. "I never did get to fully reap the advantages of your tongue did I?"

A laugh was her only response before she was hoisted into the bedroom and the interruption was fully made up to her.


End file.
